Rotary engine



F. GIRARDL ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED 11111.31, 1919.

Patented Mar. 11;, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

814mm 11 or fimkgirwdi $312503 Gftozmugb 'F.\G I'RAR DI. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION H LED 1A!- 31,1919.

Patented Mar. 16,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- FggG I I .fllll Fir rnmx emsnm, orx DETROIT,

T0 al l whom itmdy concern: 7

Be it known that I, FRANK GIRARDI, .a citizen of the United States of America,

residing-at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have. invented cer tain) new and vuseful Improvements. in R0:

tary Engines, of which the following is a specification,- reference being had thereinto t e accompanying drawings, V

'Thisinvention relates to a rotary cylinder internal combustion engine, and has special reference to a light and durableiengine that has been especially designedjas a power. plant of an air plane, hydroplaneor peed vehicle that maybe propelled by a pro eller.

y Invention is characterized by rality of radially disposed cylinders adapted to revolve about a stationary. crank shaft, which also constitutes abearingfor the revoluble crank case and cylinders of the engine. The crank case is adapted to be connected direct to a propeller, so that the propeller and crank case will be driven in synchronism. I 7

My invention is 'fiirther characterized by novel'rotary valves controlling the admis 'sion and exhaust of fuel and gases to and from the cylinders of the engine; the'rotary valves being disposed in parallelism with the radial axes of the cylinders, and set out of the vertical plane'of said cylinders so as to cooperate therewith in serving as a propeller.

The invention is further characterized by a novel oil distributing system, and ignition 1 system, and other features, all of'which co operate to provide an engine that is highly efficient as the power plant of an air plane.-

My invention will be hereinafter considered in detail and then claimed, and reference will now be had to the drawings, whereinv 1 Figure 1 is an end view of a portion of the engine partly broken away and partly in section, 4 I v Fig. 2 shows cross sectional views ofengine cylinders and valve bodies. showing the relation to each other;

.crank shaft 2.

MICHIGAN, AssIeNonoFbN-E-HALF 'r'o JOSEPH BASIL, or person, M CHI AN;-

- a i I? ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. *flPat'ented 1 ,1920, Application filed January 31,1919, Serial no; #7 32 l ii i I riglgaas 5jside'e1ea ioao theengi'ne,

partly" broken away I and ,partly" in] section vFlg. 4: s a, fdetailfsectionalviewt on' a small scale, oft a rotary valve showing, an

exhaust passage;

Fig. is a similar view of the same, show ing an intake passage, and Figs. 6 to i 9 inclusive are diagrammatic views :ofa rotaryvalv'e', showingfdifferent positions of the same; f I i f i &1 ribin y v iOn -by-ei ofthe "views above referred to, I desirefto point out that the same are merely, illustrative] of an example t w cnm invention'm belput ,intopracticeand I doknot oareff-to "confine U my invention to the precise construction and arrangement "of parts. shown. The following descriptiomis therefore to. be; broadly construed as including, such substitute Iconstructions and arrangement of parts which are the obvious equivalents of those' be hereinafter referred to, c

y In the drawings,- the"' reference" numeral- 1 denotes a suitable support or 'bearing for a stationary sh aft 2 having a crank portion .3 and at the sidesof said crank portion are anti-frictional bearingsfe supporting arrank case 5, The, crank case 5 ,is heldi against longitudmal movement, by an end thrust bearing 6 on the end Of the Stationaryshaft 2 and said crank case is connected by a coupling. member 7 to a propeller 8, said coupling member constituting a housing for theend thrust bearmgfi and theendof the Mounted" on I immicating therewith a-13c aplurality of radially disposed cylinders 9 having heads 10, saidcylinders and said headsbeing provided with heat disseminating webs or r bs 11. as best shown in, Fig. ,1.

Slidable in the cylinders Q arepistons 12 [provided with suitable, packing rings, and said pistons have connecting rods I3 pivotally. mounted between the, heads 14] surrounding the crank portion 3f'of the stationary crank shaft 2..

Each of-the cylinders has a parallel [valve body 16 integral therewithjaii'd these the crank case 5 and 'coinvalve bodies are set one side of a vertical plane of all of the cylinders 9, as best shown in Fig. 2 so that said cylinders and their valve bodies will conform somewhat to the blades of the propeller and during their rotation about the axis ofthe stationary crank shaft cooperate with the propeller 8, which revolves in synchron'ismwith the end of the cylinder, in'propelling an air plane equipped with the engine. In "the valve bodies 16 are hollow rotary valves 17 provided with angularly disposed exhaust passages or conduits 18 adapted to establish communication between the ports 19 of the cylinders 9 and exhaust ports 20 of theyalve' bodies, 16, said exhaust ports 20 berijig in. communication with suitable exhaust pipes 21. The hollow valves 17 are also provided with angularly disposed intake passages or conduits 22 'adapted to establish communication between the ports 19 of the cylinders 9 and the intake ports 24 of the valve bodles 16, said intake ports 24 being in communication with converging pipes 25 suita'bly connected to an annularv manifold 26 surrounding the stationary crank shaft 2. The manifold 26 is part of a gear casing 27 suitably connected, as at28, to the crank case 5, and

. antifrictional bearings 29 insure each rotation of the manifold and gear casing on the crank shaft 2.

The rotary hollow valve 17 is provided with tubular stems 30 extending into the gear casing 27 said tubular stems having beveled gear wheels 31 meshing with a stationary rack suitably fixed to the crank shaft 2, so that when the gear casing 27 is revolved,

connections 36 with gages 37 and said gages 55.

the stationary crank shaft 2. Some of the ports 39 communicate with the gear casing a rotary movement will be imparted to the hollow valves 17. These valves during rotation are adapted to admit fuel and exhaust gases to and from the cylinders 9 in timed relation and the various positions of the hollow valves have been diametrically illustrated in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive.

The tubular valve rods or stems 30 are adapted to conduct a suitable lubricant from the gear casin 27 into the hollow valves 17 said valves being ported, as at 33 and 34, so that oil may be distributed in the valve bodies 16 to insure an easy rotation of the rotary valves therein. Oil is supplied to the gear casing 27 from a suitable pump carried by the crank shaft 2, said pump having have suitable connections 38 to ports 39 in 27 and others may communicate with the crank case 5, so that all of the movable parts of the engine will be thoroughly lubricated.

Communicating with the end of the crank shaft 2 is a fuel supply pipe 40, said stationary crank shaft having a port 41 establishing communication between the manifold 29 and said pipe. A carbureter or any other device may be connected to the pipe to supply a suitable fuel or explosive mixture to the outer ends of the cylinders 9, where spark plugs 42 are located for ignition purposes.

Fixed on the stationary crank shaft 2 is a" distributer 43 and contacting therewith is a brush 44 having a rack 45, said brush and rack being connected to the manifold 26 to move therewith. Meshing with the rack 45 are pinions 46 and 47, the former operating the pump 35 and the latter operating a magneto 48 mounted on the stationary crank shaft 2. established with the spark plugs 42 so that explosive mixture in the outer ends of the.

manner of distributing lubricant to the various valve bodies insures thorou h lubrication of the hollow rotary valves What I claim is 1. In a multi-eylinder internal combustion engine, a stationary crank shaft having lubricant ports, a crank case rotatable about said shaft, radially disposed cylinders carried by said crank case'and in communication therewith, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders and articulated with said stationary crank shaft, valve bodies carried by said cylinders, said valvebodies having exhaust and intake ports, a manifold rotatable Suitable electrical connections'are with said crank case and communicating Y with the intake ports of said valve bodies,

rotary valves in said valve bodies adapted for controlling the intake and exhaust of fuel and gases to and from the cylinders of said engine, a gear casing carried by said crank case communicating with the lubricant ports of said stationary crank shaft, tubular valve stems carried by said valves and extending into said gear casing and adapted to conduct lubricant from said crank shaft into said valve bodies, and gears in said gear casing causing said valve stems and the valves thereof to revolve when said cylinders move about said crank shaft.

2. In combination with a rotary engine having cylinders disposed to rotate about a stationary shaft ;a valve mechanism for said engine, comprising valve bodies communicating with said cylinders, rotary hollow valves in said bodies and provided with intake and exhaust passages adapted to communicate with the engine cylinders, said hollow valves having lubricant ports opening at the Walls of said valve bodies, a casing about said shaft adapted to receive lubricant therefrom, tubular valve stems carried by said valves and extending into said casing and adapted to conduct lubricant from said oasing into said valve bodies, and means in said .casing causing said valve stems and the KARL H. BUTLER ANNA M; Done. 

